Brick-molding machine.



W. H. HAWS.

BRICK MOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24.1911

1,284,670. PatentPd Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

W. H. HAWS.

BRICK MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mu) JULY 24.1917.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES smarts a rnn anion.

WILLIAM H. HAWS, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BRICK-MOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed July 24, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Haws, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Molding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a molding machine, and more particularly to the class of brick molding machines, preferably for making silica bricks.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein a train of molds are grouped in independent series for receiving the silica and are fed in such groups upon a foundation or bed and automatically jarred to cause the material to settle and become compact within the molds.

The invention consists of a vertically movable cap plate, in combination with a vertically movable bed plate upon which the mold or molds are supported, the cap plate resting upon the material of the mold or molds so as to compress or compact the same by the jarring action imparted to the bed plate.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the acooinpanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawingsbut may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plain view of the machine constructed in accordance with the invention, the compressor cap or head frame be ng in section.

2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in section looking toward the feed end of the machine.

Finr. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Serial No. 182,438.

of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. 1

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing in detail thescraper blade mounting.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A

designates generally a conveyer table which is in the form of two sections each comprising spaced longitudinally disposed parallel side rails 10, and a plurality of transversely arranged rollers 11 which are suitably journaled in the side rails 10 and are located in close proximity to each other. The two sections of the conveyer table A are spaced apart so that one constitutes the feeding side of the machine and the other the delivery side, while located between-said sections of the conveyer table is a bed or foundation block 12 supported upon a foundation 13, preferably made from concrete, although itmay be made from other cementitious substances, the block 12 being preferably constructed from wood to insure the required amount of resiliency.

Fixed to and rising from opposite sides of the block 12 is a frame including spaced vertical guides 14 and a cross beam 15 which is located at the upper ends of said guides 14 and bolted or otherwise fastened thereto to form the head of the frame. The guides 14 are preferably made from a substantially L- shaped bar, andarranged within this frame is a lifting bed plate 16 which normally rests upon the top of the block 12 and is formed at opposite side edges thereof with shoes 17 which slidably engage in the guides 14, while above the lifting bed plate 16 is a compressingcap plate 18 which, at opposite edges, is formed with shoes 19 corresponding to the shoes 17 and slidably engage in the guides 14. This plate is imperforate and is flat on its under side and is greater in area than the mold or molds supported on the bed plate.

Adapted to travel upon the conveyer table A, which may be of any desiredlength, are series of molds 20 which are preferably grouped, three in number, although the same may be grouped in any number desired according to the capacity of the machine. Each mold 20 is preferably of rectangular shape and is partitioned or webbed to form six bricks although said molds can be varied in size to accommodate a greater number of bricks. The molds at opposite ends thereof are formed with suitable handles 21 to permit the carrying of the same from one point to another. In the grouping of the molds it is necessary to employ spacing blocks or frames which are located between the respective groups for the spacing of the molds in one group from another.

At one side of the conveyer table A, contiguous to the feed end thereof, is a supply platform 23 from. which rises an incline chute 2 1 for receiving the material to be fed to the molds 20 when grouped and disposed at the platform 23, the supply platform being formed with a mouth flange which projects over the conveyer table A at the feed end thereof so as to direct the material from the table 23 into the molds 20. The conveyer table A and the platform 23 are supported in any suitable manner, the platform 23 being slightly elevated above the plane of the table A which is arranged in a horizontal plane, while the bed or foundation block 12 is of suflicient height so that the lifting bed plate 16 normally rests thereon and is substantially flush with the upper side of said table to receive the groups of molds 20 when advanced from the feed to the delivery end of the conveyor table, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

At the feed end of the conveyer table A is suitably supported a piston cylinder 26 in which is a fluid actuated reciprocatory piston or plunger 27, the fluid for operating the said piston or plunger being admitted and exhausted to and from the cylinder 26 in any approved manner, and may be either air or steam. The outer end of the piston or plunger 27 is formed with a head 28 which is adapted to engage with the spacing frames 22, as arranged in Fig. 1 of the drawings, relative to the group of molds 20, so that on the outward movement of the piston or plunger 27 the groups of molds upon the conveyer table A will be pushed in the direction-of the delivery end of the table. The advancement of the groups of molds causes the pushing of one group, having the material completely molded therein, out of the delivery end of the conveyor table A and the bringing of the next succeeding group of molds 20 onto the lifting bed plate 16 upon the block 12 for the molding of the material within said molds.

At opposite sides of the block 12 and suitably supported are shaft bearings 29 in which are journaled cam shafts 30 having fixed thereto bevel gears 31 which mesh with companion bevel ears 32 secured to a driving shaft 33 suitaily journaled transversely of and beneath the conveyer table A, the shaft being fitted with belt pulleys 3st, one being fixed thereto and the other loose thereon for receiving a driving belt 35 operated from any suitable source of power. This belt, when upon the fixed pulley 35, will positively drive the cam shafts 30 which have fixed thereto lifting cams 36 adapted for engagement with the shoes 17 of the lifting bed plate 16 for the automatic lifting thereof from the block 12 and the dropping of the same thereon intermittently when the machine is in operation.

Arranged at points between the location of the block 12 and the supply platform 23 is a scraper blade 37 and a presser roller 38, the latter being positioned in advance of the scraper blade which is adjustably supported upon vertical posts 39 fixed to the table A, at opposite sides thereof. The posts are formed with slots 4C0 for receiving bolts 41 which are engaged in the blade 37 and carry winged nuts 42 for adjustably connecting said blade 37 to the posts 39, the blade 37 being adiusted to the desired height over the convcyer table A so as to scrape material from the quantity delivered to the group molds 20 traveling from the feed end to the delivery end of the conveyer table.

The presser roller 38 is adjustably supported in brackets 43 fixed to and rising vertically from opposite sides of the conveyer frame the brackets being formed with vertical slots 14: in which are received adjustable bearings 4:5 for the journal ends of the roller 38. Tapped in the upper ends of the brackets are adjusting screws 16 which act upon the bearings 45 for holding the same adjusted within the slots 4L4 in said brackets 43 and thus in this manner properly positioning the presser roller 38 for action upon the material within the molds to press the material flat prior to the advancement. of the molds onto the block 12.

Suitably suspended from an elevated point upon a chain 47 is a lifting lever t8 and formed on or fixed to the compressing cap plate 18 is a bail l9 with which is adapted to the lifting lever 48 for the manual lifting of said cap plate 18 to raised position off of the material compressed within the molds 20.

In the cross beam 15 of the frame, centrally thereof, is a swinging hook 50 for detachable engagement with the bail 4L9 on the cap plate 18 when elevated a suiiicient distance for the hanging of the cap when manually raised.

The presser roller 38 is properly adjusted above the convever table A so as to act upon the material in the n'zolds 20 advanced thereon without causing the material to settle or be pressed below the upper edges of said molds so that a massed quantity of the material will remain above the plane of the upper edges of the molds to be pressed down by the compressing cap plate 18.

The machine is especially designed for making bricks from silica and, in the operation, the material to be molded is delivered from the chute 24 onto the platform 23 and from there placed in the molds 20 which are positioned upon the conveyer table A ingroups of three molds to each group, the groups being separated by the spacing blocks 22 as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Each group of molds is advanced or pushed from the feed end to the delivery end of the conveyer table A by the piston or plunger 27 onto the bed plate 16 and in the advancement of the groups the excess material in the molds 20 is scraped off by the action of the scraper blade 37 and the presser roller 38 levels the material and slightly compresses the same. The spacer blocks are to separate the groups ofmolds and space the same for the proper entry thereof and the removal of the same from between the lifting bed plate 16 and the compressing cap plate 18, and the delivery of the molds from the delivery end of the conveyer table. lVhen the groups of molds have been positioned upon the bed plate 16 for jarring action, the spacing blocks or frames 22 neXt thereto are removed, it being understood, of course, that the compressing cap plate 18 has been previously elevated for the positioning of the groups of molds upon the lifting bed plate, and thereafter said cap plate lowered onto the material in the group of molds 20, whereupon the machine is set in action and the cams 36 will act upon the sliding shoes 17 on the lifting bed plate 16 for the lifting there of from the block 12 and, on the riding of the shoes from the cam, the lifting bed plate 16 by its own weight lowers onto the block 12 thereby jarring the material within the molds for i the settling of such material therein. The cap plate 18, resting upon the material in the molds during the jarring action of the machine, compresses the material to render the same compact. It is of course understood that the jarring action upon the molds 20 can be repeated any number of times according to the desired settling of the material in the molds. lVhen the material has been compressed within the molds after the required jarring action, the cap plate 18 is lifted and the piston or plunger 27 operated for advancing the next group of molds, and the molded material in the preceding group of molds is delivered from the conveyer table A to the machine.

The molds'having the molded material, when delivered from the conveyor table, are placed upon suitable pallets for the drying of the molded material. It is of course understood that in lieu of molding silica, the machine is readily adaptable for use in molding sand, brick or bricks made from semimoist materials.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner of operation of the machine will be clearly understood and, therefore, a more extended explanation has been omitted.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting on the bed rock for receiving a mold, and a vertically movable capplat-e above the mold resting upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, said cap plate being of greater area than the mold cavity.

2. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, and a vertically movable cap plate above the mold resting by its own weight upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, said cap plate moving vertically in unison with the mold and bed plate but capable of independent movement away from the mold.

8. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, and a vertically movable cap plate above the mold resting upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, said cap plate being composed of a flat imperforate plate having an area greater than the mold.

a. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold resting by its own weight upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, and means for guiding the movement of the cap plate toward and from the mold, said cap plate moving synchronously with the mold and bed plate but adapted to be raised independently from the mold.

5. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate thereon, a mold supported upon the bed plate, a vertically movable cap plate of greater area than the mold and having a flattened under face resting upon the material in the mold, a guide for said cap plate, and means for raising the cap plate off the material.

i 6. In a molding machine, a bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, and means for raising and releasing the bed plate for jarring action upon the bed block, and means outside the mold for guiding the movement of the cap plate toward and from .the mold, said cap plate moving vertically with the bed plate and mold but capable of independent movement away from the mold 7. In a molding machine, a bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate wholly outside the mold and resting by its own weight upon the material being molded above the mold, and means for raising and releasing tl e bed plate for jarring action upon the bed block.

8. In a molding machine, a resilient bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold, and resting upon the material being molded outside the mold, means for guiding the movement of the cap plate toward and from the top of the mold, means for manually moving the cap plate independently of the mold, and means for auton'iatically raising and releasing the bed plate for jarring action upon the bed block, the cap plate moving synchronously with the bed plate and mold.

9. In a molding machine, a resilient bed block, a vertically movable bed plate nor- \nally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and adapted to rest upon the material being molded outside the mold, a conveyer for directing the mold onto the bed plate when the latter is in its normal position, means for advancing the mold over the conveyer toward the bed plate, and means for automatically raising and releasing the bed plate for arring action upon the bed block, the cap plate moving synchronously with the bed plate and mold.

10. In a molding machine, a stationary bed block, a vertically movable bed plate normally resting thereon for receiving a mold, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material being molded outside the mold for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, means for imparting movement to the bed plate, means for guiding the bed plate toward and away from the bed block, means outside the mold for guiding the cap plate in its vertical movement, and means for raising the cap plate off the mold.

11. In a molding machine, a bed block, a guide above said block, a verticall movable cap plate for receiving the mold, shoes on the bed plate and engaging said guide, and

a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material therein for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate.

12. In a molding machine, a bed block, a guide rising above said block, a vertically movable bed plate for receiving the mold, shoes on the bed plate engaging said guide, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material therein for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, and shoes on the cap plate engaging said guide.

18. In a molding machine, a bed block, a guide rising above said block, a vertically movable bed plate for receiving a mold, shoes on the bed plate engaging said guide, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material therein for compressing the same when motion is imparted to the bed plate, shoes on the cap plate engaging the guide, and means active upon the shoes of the bed plate to raise and lower the same.

14. In a molding machine, a bed block, a guide rising above said block, a vertically movable bed plate for receiving a mold, shoes on the bed plate engaging said guide, a vertically moving cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material therein, shoes on the cap plate engaging the guide, and lifting cams on opposite sides of the bed block and engaging the bed plate shoes to raise and lower said bed plate for jarring action upon the mold, the shoes on the cap plate moving in the guide synchronously with the shoes on the bed plate.

15. In a molding machine, a bed block, a guide rising above said block, a vertically movable bed plate for receiving the mold, shoes on the bed plate engaging the said guide, a vertically movable cap plate above the mold and resting upon the material therein, shoes on the cap plate engaging the guide, lifting cams on opposite sides of the bed block and engaging the bed plate shoes to raise and lower said bed plate for jarring action upon the block, means for raising the cap-plate oif the mold, and means for bolding the cap plate in position.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. HAWS.

Witnesses:

DAN L. PARSONS, CHARLES H. MCMULLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

